Baines, E; Blatchford, P; Kutnick, P; (2007) Pupil Grouping for Learning: developing a social pedagogy of the classroom. In: Gillies, RM and Ashman, A and Terwel, J and Gillies, RM, (eds.) The Teacher's Role in Implementing Cooperative Learning in the Classroom. (pp. 57-72). Springer US: New York.

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Abstract

In this chapter we broaden consideration of the role and purposes of putting children in groups for learning. Our central premise is that children are always found seated or working in some form of grouping in their classrooms, but many of these groupings actually inhibit learning and the motivation to learn. This chapter will consider the use of pupil groups within the natural classroom context to help to understand why they may not be effective in promoting learning, and how they may be changed to support learning. Our view of effective group work in classrooms moves away from examining group work in terms of a short-term (often experimental) approach in which group working skills are decontextualised from the general classroom context The chapter will focus largely on research related to elementary/primary schools and will provide a review of current grouping practices in classrooms, particularly in England. The chapter has four main sections: first, there is a review of research on group work in schools drawing on what we know from naturalistic studies of classrooms; second, we consider how this review has informed the key principles of a recent UK group work program; third, the results of a large scale quasi-experimental evaluation of this program will be presented; and fourth, we conclude points with implications for everyday practice and policy in schools.

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